Syria’s military yesterday announced a surprise reduction in bombardment of rebel groups in devastated Aleppo, nearly two weeks after declaring an all-out assault to capture the city.

Members of Royal Saudi Navy takes part in Gulf Shield 1 exercise, east of Saudi Arabia, in this handout photo received on Tuesday.

Sudanese doctors are planning a nationwide strike today to demand higher wages, protection from security forces and better services at government hospitals, their association said.

“Smashed cranes” at Yemen’s rebel-held Hodeida port are hindering the entry of relief supplies to ease a deteriorating humanitarian crisis in the war-torn country, the UN aid chief said yesterday.

Morocco will elect a parliament tomorrow for the first time since an Islamist-led government took office following Arab Spring uprisings that toppled leaders across the region.

The United Arab Emirates said yesterday Yemeni Houthi forces had attacked a UAE vessel in a strategic Red Sea shipping lane off the coast of Yemen at the weekend and called the incident an “act of terrorism.”

Iraq and Turkey on Wednesday summoned their respective ambassadors in a bitter war of words between the two neighbours ahead of a planned operation to retake the Iraqi city of Mosul from jihadists.

The United States strongly condemned the Israeli government's decision to advance a plan that would create up to 300 new settlement units deep in the West Bank, the State Department said on Wednesday, saying it would damage prospects for a two-state solution.

The general command of Syria's army has decided to reduce the number of air strikes and shelling of what it describes as terrorist positions in Aleppo to alleviate the humanitarian situation there, a Syrian military source said on Wednesday.

Turkey's army said it clashed with Islamic State over the border in Syria, leaving one soldier and 23 militants dead, as Ankara stepped up an operation to clear insurgents from the frontier region.

Analysis of satellite imagery of a deadly attack on an aid convoy in Syria last month showed that it was an air strike, a UN expert said on Wednesday in remarks that were later toned down to say it was not a conclusive finding.

Iraq's prime minister warned Turkey on Wednesday it risked triggering a regional war by keeping troops in his territory, as the neighbouring states summoned each other's ambassadors in a mounting diplomatic stand-off.